Another Classic moment in the making. This year JVG will experiment with flip flopping Novak and Snyder in the starting lineup. He's worried about our guys coming out cold to start the game. It's been a consistent pattern in the preseason. So, look for him to experiment with starting Novak and playing Batt and TMac at the 2/3 against certain matchups that would favor Novak by having an easier to defend player that Novak can check. I would suspect that against the more athletic teams, Snyder will get the nod alongside TMac and Batt at the 3/4.
the fact that jvg is even considering novak as the starting four is very encouraging. having four players that can shoot the three ball on the floor with yao makes sense. i personally would love to see steve playing starters minutes and drain five or six three pointers per game.
Novak is a LOT more athletic than people thought, he has quick feet and more importantly a quick mind.... He is Battier quick......which is to say, quick enough because he uses his head to get into position quickly. DD
It has to be the slow starts. I thought starting Snyder was a no-brainer until the last two preseason games. My guess is JVG sticks with this until continued slow starts forces the issue with Novak.
I have been impressed with his D so far. I think he has more than held his own. But of course, JVG already assumes he is the worst defensive player in NBA history. He is also able to get boards pretty decently too. I have also been impressed with Scott Padgett and I think he was a good last minute signing all though I didn't care when we got him. From reading JVG's comments in the Chron this morning it sounds like he wants a 3 point shooting 4 to start for sure. If it is not going to be Battier(which it should be) I hope it will be Padgett or Novak and not Juwan. At this point I would rather have either of these guys starting rather than Juwan.
LOL. In the course of a the season Novak will NOT start. Let me give you the dire emergency, who will start at the 4 if the Rox were in a playoff series. Juwon Battier Then maybe Chuck Hayes Then Ryan Bowen Then maybe Mutombo Then maybe Novak. As for the 3 spot goes. Same scenario it would go something like this TMac Wells Snyder Battier Then Maybe Novak. Hey I heard Kelvin Cato had 7 blocks in a preseason game and is ready for big minutes in a Rocks Uni.
I dont want Novak to start at least this season Novak should be the Jon Barry of two years ago When he came in, he will drain a few threes to either extend the lead to more than what the opposition can catch up or decrease the the opposition's lead, so that when we sub on tmac or/and yao, we can continue the momentum but hten again when one of the players are not feeling it.....novak should be used to help yao and tmac by spacing the floor I wouldnt mind seeing this lineup some time yao novak battier tmac Alston
I doubt that he will start at all, baring injury. Rookies simply are not used to the conditioning it takes to complete a full 82 game season plus playoffs. They can usually only handle about 15 mins/game, otherwise they hit that "rookie wall" (which is basically total and complete exhaustion) in the second half of the season. Remember, this guy has played maybe 30 games a year in college and highschool, and probably 2/3rds of that was against inferion competition. He is fixing to get beat and banged around in a way his body has never been treated before. He'll be better off the bench, playing against 2nd stringers.
I will be very happy if Novak starts. It would mean JVG has faith that Novak is good enough defensively even against the elite PFs to get major PT. It would be a fun team to watch even if I wasn't a Rocket fan. I still expect Snyder because the team should be better defensively to handle a wider range of opposing starting lineups.
There's a good chance he starts the first game of the season. Have you guys read JVG's quotes? Well there's only 2 other range shooting 4's on the roster, Novak and Padgett. Padgett might not even make the team. Novak would instantly become the best shooting 4 in the league. I wonder who he would go with.
Mark my words, JVG will be toying with the lineup into the regular season. Snyder will start some and Novak will start some. And when Bonzi gets healthy, I would expect him to eventually start some until JVG settles on a rotation. He won't be settled on a rotation until probably February.
novak = vinny johnson = ben gordon. just for the instant offense part. no way is he as athletic as ben gordon. what is novaks points per a 48ppm game?
I don't see Novak starting anytime soon, but he sure will get some good minutes. That three-stroke, if he is protected defensively, is deadly. Of course, I have no idea who we start at the four right now. Battier is the most likely candidate with Snyder at the two, then see how Wells and Novak come along. Head and Howard give you another couple of adjustable pieces and you know what you're getting with them. We'll see. Is it Wednesday yet?
Van Gundy is still debating whether to playing McGrady/Battier at SF/PF or SG/SF to start games. And he's said that if they play at SG/SF, he wants a PF who can hit threes (sorry, Juwan, "range" means 3-point shooting, not 18-footers). I think there's a 30% chance goes with Mac/Battier at SG/SF, and Van Gundy's choices at PF will then be Novak or Padgett. Judging by the preseason rotations, I think Novak would have the edge. Unless his defensive mistakes in the last preseason game really pissed off JVG. So, to answer the question, Novak has a decent shot of starting to begin the season. I would put his chances of starting some time during the season at probable.
Let me just add. Starting will not mean anything this year. I think just cause someone starts does not mean they will get starters minutes. Novak may start but he is not a "starter"
